NYS Music 20​14

Category: Metal/Hard Rock/Punk

  • Venue Profile: Bogie’s in Albany, A Scene Coming Together

    While the venue is closer to 30 years old, for the last five years the local hardcore and metal scene in the Albany area have really called Bogie’s on Ontario Street home. To say that Bogie’s has character is like saying the Pope is a little religious – from the black walls and the sticker covered bathrooms, to the fliers thrown throughout the place celebrating past and upcoming shows. Above the bar there are signed drum heads and cymbals, each to tell tales of legends and start-ups alike coming through those doors, to play for the diehards that make up Bogie’s core clientele.

    This coming weekend Bogie’s is reaching out to the community for help. The music scene is not a lucrative one and to keep the metal and hardcore scene alive, Mike Valente is asking friends, family, and fans to come support the venue.  “Repair Fest” is a weekend-long show held at Bogie’s with some of the best local bands on the metal, hardcore and similar scenes. 

    Friday night headliners Sworn Enemy will be gracing the stage along with Valente’s own Troycore band, Brick By Brick.  Saturday will be headlined by local industrial rock band, The Clay People.  The music continues on Sunday with headliner, Full Blown Chaos.

    bogie'sNYS Music sat down with Mike Valente before a Goatwhore show last month and asked a few questions. Here’s what Mike had to say about Bogie’s and some of the memories inside those walls.

    NYS Music: How long have you run Bogie’s?

    Mike Valente: Five years.  

    NYS Music: What have been some of the more notable bands that have played here the past five years?

    Mike: Corrosion of Conformity, Tommy Tutone, Sepultura, Soulfly, Marc Rizzo, Stigmata, Black Flag, I could go on and on.

    NYS Music: What’s one memory that sticks out?

    Mike: Tommy Tutone (of Jenny/867-5309 fan) was blasted on something.  He was wearing sunglasses, chewing gun, he had the worst bus I’ve seen and he was hyped up really good.  He needed someone to sell merch, so Matt was helping him out and Tommy told him to sell signed photos for $3.  $1 for Tommy, $1 for Matt.  When Matt pointed out they were $3 and that only accounts for $2, Tommy ignored the question and told Matt that he should try to get a hummer from the girls.  Completely wasted.

    NYS Music: Repair Fest is coming up. What is it and what are some goals?

    Mike:  There are a ton of repairs needed here.  The bar is surviving, there is enough for salaries except mine and Ralph (Mike’s partner at Bogie’s) most the time.  The repair funds will go toward doors, floors, ceiling, bathrooms, coolers, etc.  This place has taken a beating over the years.

    NYS Music: Do you attribute the damage to the hardcore scene?

    Mike: Not the hardcore or metal scene.  Those guys are the most respectful, it is when we throw college parties that everything gets destroyed.  Like a tornado goes through here.

    NYS Music: Can you tell me about your affiliation with Black ‘n Blue out of New York City?

    Mike: Freddie and Cousin Joe, they are BNB.  They’ve helped a lot and have Black ‘n Blue Bowl, big names and they are only three hours away.  Upstate Black ‘n Blue is completely separate but we help each other out.

    NYS Music: What are some bands that played here before anyone knew who they were?

    Mike: State Champs. They played the first spot of six bands.  they started at the bottom but worked hard.  They are getting big and they are going to be big.  They deserve it.

    NYS Music: Any bands out right now to look out for?

    Mike: Sure.  Before I Had Wings, Collateral Damage and Ego Destroys.  There are others, too.

    NYS Music: Is there a difference between the Albany scene and the Troy scene?

    Mike: Not a difference anymore.  It is the same kids, they go wherever there is a good show.  Troy bands are very proud of their Troy connection though.

    NYS Music: What’s the scene like now?

    Mike: It is okay, all the promoters are working together.  Trick Shots, Upstate Concert Hall and Bogie’s.  We try not to book over top of each other.  None of us are getting rich off this and we all have other jobs to pay the bills.  We have to work together and we do.

    So this weekend, if you have a free day, free afternoon, or even a free hour, come down to Bogie’s at 247 Ontario Street in Albany and support the local venue. If you can’t make the festival, please consider to donate online at their GoFundMe account (www.gofundme.com/6k0qjw) and check out future dates at Bogie’s including these in May: Adrenaline Mob on the 14th, Vanna on the 24th and Blacktide on the 31st.

    Website: www.bogiesny.com

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Bogies-NY

  • Black Label Society, Down, Devil You Know, Butcher Babies lead Revolver Golden Gods Tour, Rocking Upstate Concert Hall Monday, May 5th

    Supporting the release of the well received new album Catacombs of the Black Vatican, Black Label Society returns to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park for the first time in over a decade with Revolver Golden Gods Tour. Black Label Society returns with a new lineup with Zakk Wylde leading the way along with new drummer Jeff Fabb, (ex In This Moment) and new guitarist Dario Lorina (Lizzy Borden) and long time bassist John DeServio.blsWylde1

    New Orleans metal supergroup Down take the co-headlining slot in support of their upcoming EP Down IV Part II. Longtime guitarist Kirk Windstein left Down to focus on Crowbar fulltime and was replaced by their guitar tech Pat Bruders. This would mark the first time in five years Down invaded Upstate Concert Hall.Down-2014-Pic-2

    In a radio interview conducted back in February, Joe D of 95X, (WAQX) spoke with Zakk Wylde he confirmed that there may be a Pantera jam with Down’s Phil Anselmo on this tour. Check out the interview here.Devil-You-Know-2014

    Devil You Know, which features former Killswitch Engage vocalist Howard Jones, makes their Upstate New York debut on this tour. Devil You Know is supporting their debut album The Beauty of Destruction which is out now. Butcher Babies are slated to open the show in support of their debut album Goliath which was released last summer.

    Doors will open at 6:30PM and show starts at 7:30PM. This show is expected to sell out so pick up your tickets here.

  • Lacuna Coil, Kyng, Eve to Adam, and Cilver Rocked the Westcott Theater in Syracuse

    Approximately 300 people swarmed to see Lacuna Coil headline the Westcott Theater in Syracuse on Tuesday night. It marked the first time in five years since Lacuna Coil was in town, and the sound and overall production was fantastic at the Westcott Theater.

    The doors opened at 6PM and alternative rockers Cilver started right at 7PM. The band rocked a 30 minute set that consisted of their upcoming EP, In My Head. Frontwoman Uliana Preotu is a talented singer who could really wail on the mic. Lead guitarist Gerry Soman also stood out as he could really shred through their material, similar to Zakk Wylde. This band has a bright future and I would expect them to be touring with bigger names in the very near future.

    Eve to Adam began their chaotic set at 7:40PM and really set a high tempo. They opened with “Bender” and stormed into the song “Fortune Teller” before playing the title track to their new release, Locked & Loaded. One thing I think that makes the band stand out is their high energy and use of vocal harmonies. In an attempt to really get the crowd active, they played a cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” before closing their set with “Straight Jacket Supermodel.” Eve to Adam continues to tour relentlessly and is really making a name for themselves.

    Lacuna Westcott

    Kyng came into their set as the most metal band of the night, and for a three-piece band, they really make it look easy. The band had a few intimate and hilarious moments with the crowd throughout their set. It all started with a few good-natured hecklers screaming out “Slayer!” to bassist Tony Castaneda, who does, in fact, resemble Tom Araya of Slayer. On top of that, guitarist/vocalist Eddie Veliz kept picking on this one bearded gentleman (who was standing right next to me) in an Iced Earth shirt, telling him to lighten up throughout the entire set. The band’s humor was a much-needed element for the night. Two highlights from Kyng’s set was their cover of Van Halen’s “Hot for the Teacher” and their closer “Falling Down.” For anyone who missed Kyng, they will be back in Upstate New York in Rochester on May 8th with Fozzy and Buckcherry and in Poughkeepsie on May 9th with Fozzy and Jamie Jasta.

    Lacuna Coil finally graced the stage at 9:20PM by opening with “Trip The Darkness.” The band still sounds as terrific as they always did, even with Guitarist Cris “Pizza” Migliore and drummer Christiano “Criz” Mozzati no longer in the lineup. Singers Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro pack an awesome one-two punch and have such a great and unique stage presence. Lacuna Coil played classic songs like “Swamped,” “Heaven’s a Lie,” and “Fragments of Faith,” as well as new songs from their latest release, Broken Crown Halo, which they are currently promoting. The main highlight of their set would have to be “My Spirit,” which they dedicated to late and great Peter Steele of Type O Negative before diving into their trademark song “Spellbound.” For the very last song, they closed with (my personal favorite) “Our Truth,” which is a really high tempo, energetic song. Lacuna Coil was well received by their performance, and although they didn’t do an encore, they came and signed merchandise after the show.

    Overall, it was a fantastic night with every band coming through in the clutch.  Lacuna Coil wraps up their U.S. tour in early May before heading out to tour the rest of world. Even though there aren’t any additional Upstate NY stops, I would imagine that after a night like that, it won’t be too long before they make another run this way.

  • Hearing Aide: Perfect Pussy Debut ‘Say Yes to Love’

    FolderPerfect Pussy’s full length debut Say Yes to Love is the core definition of hardcore punk.  An album that is very loud, fast, noisy, and with a much-needed raw attitude that most punk bands are lacking nowadays.

    My initial reaction when I start playing the album was “WTF?” because I didn’t see it coming.  Once the opening track “Driver” started, I knew I was in for a punch in the nose.  My favorite track is easily “Work” because of the eerie opening guitar riff from Ray McAndrew mixed with the quick trippy bass line from Greg Ambler.  Vocalist Meredith Graves spits out punk-like poetry throughout the entire album over muffled noise that adds a very unorthodox flavor to their sound.

    Another fun track is “Advance Upon the Real,” which is very muffled and very fast.  The drums from Garrett Koloski really stand out on this one.   Keyboardist Shaun Sutkus’ talent is on full display with the closing track “VII” which seems to be slightly subliminal.

    Overall, Say Yes to Love is a very fast-paced and trippy punk record that can be played from front to back in less than a half hour.  It’s definitely a fun listen and a breath of fresh air, but, most important, the element that stands out the most is the attitude.  Perfect Pussy has a bright future and Say Yes to Love is a must own for any hardcore punk fan.  The album can be purchased here.

  • Lacuna Coil, Kyng, Eve To Adam, and Cilver to play Westcott Theater this Tuesday, April 22

    Italian prog-metallers Lacuna Coil return to Syracuse for the first time in five years by playing at the Westcott Theater this coming Tuesday, April 22 at 7PM with Kyng. Lacuna Coil is touring to promote their latest album Broken Crown Halo, which came out April 1 and debuted with 13,000 copies sold its first week of release to land on No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart.  lacuna

    Los Angeles based hard-rockers Kyng are co-headlining to promote their album “Burn The Serum” which came out on April 15, while New York City based alternative outfit Eve To Adam join the tour to promote their latest release Locked And Loaded which came out last November.  New comers Cilver from New York City is slated to open the show.

    Tickets can be purchased here.

  • Rockstar Mayhem Festival 2014 Coming to Upstate, NY

    Rockster Mayhem Festival 2014 Tour Poster
    Rockster Mayhem Festival 2014 Tour Poster

    Finally, it’s that time of the year again. The official line-up for this years Rockstar Energy Drink’s Mayhem Festival has been officially announced.  Time to put all the rumors to bed and see which ones were true and which ones were just actually rumors.

    Founded by Kevin Lyman and John Reese in 2008, Mayhem has now become an annual event to kick off every summer.

    Mayhem will run ramped across New York State on Wednesday, July 23rd at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y, Tuesday, July 29th at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien, N.Y and Wednesday, July 30th at Nikon at Jones Beach in Wantagh, N.Y.

    This years festival will mark the seventh annual event for this summers tour and will hit over 20 different cities. The tour will be headlined by Avenged Sevenfold and Korn and will round out to 19 bands in all. Korn headlined the festival in 2010 and Avenged Sevenfold appeared on the same tour for only 2 dates in July.

    James “Munkey” Schaeffer, guitarist from Korn enlightened us to this information in a video interview at NAMM.

    Munkey’s Interview Mayhem Announcement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xx-Lb9B8YY

    The 2014 lineup will also include the likes of Asking Alexandria, Trivium, Cannibal Corpse, Suicide Silence, Miss May I, Mushroomhead, Emmure, Texas Hippie Coalition, Veil of Maya, Upon a Burning Body, Darkest Hour, Body Count, Ill Nino, Wretched, King 810, Erihma and Islander.

    Rockstar’s Mayhem Festival usually consist of bands in the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal genre style of music. There are also a lot of sub-genre band styles like nu-metal, metalcore, thrash metal, groove metal and industrial metal to name a few.

    The Festival was a three stage event until 2013 when a fourth stage was added. The Main stage, the Jagermeister stage and a third has been rotated by sponsors’ like Hot Topic in 2008 and 2009, Silver Star in 2010, Revolver in 2011, Sumerian Records in 2012 and 2013 and last years third stage was sponsored by the Musicians Institute.

    The festival is a must for all rock fans. Not only is there kick @$$ live music, but you have the Metal Mulisha as a side attraction.

    Most of the bands that participate on the tour have meet-and-greets at various locations throughout each venue and how can you beat all the free samples of new Rockstar flavors you can handle under the Rockstar Tent.

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  • The Oncoming Tour: Unearth to Play Entire Album for its 10th Year Anniversary

    Unearth Oncoming 3Unearth may not be as widely known outside of metal’s circle pits, but their impact on the scene and genre as a whole can be seen throughout.  Originally debuting back in 1998, the band rose to prominence with other New Wave of American Heavy Metal acts such as Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, and Shadows Fall, re-energizing the genre and grabbing the bar from previous nu-metalites and setting it much higher than it’s been since the early 90’s.

    Their style, along with the others mentioned, mixed the speed and chops of metal with the heaviness of hardcore into a brand new genre known as metalcore.  Their most prominent album, The Oncoming Storm, was released in 2004 and is one of the best of the era with well-written, beautiful melodies giving way to the most brutal breakdowns of the time; you couldn’t help but feed off of their energy.  They are one of the few bands whose onstage presence somehow carries over to the studio.  With the album reaching its 10 year anniversary, the band has decided to put a tour together and play it in its entirety for the first time ever, start to finish.

    Announced yesterday, the band will be hitting the road for over 20 dates including a stop in Rochester on May 31st at Montage Music Hall.  In direct support will be Texas in July, Cruel Hand, and Armed for Apocalypse.  If you’re unfamiliar with Unearth’s body of work, here are two of their official videos from The Oncoming Storm.  Crank it up and enjoy! m/


  • Biohazard, Sworn Enemy Lead Hardcore Clash at The Loft in Poughkeepsie

    bio loftThis past Friday night, April 4th, The Loft in Poughkeepsie turned into a hardcore madhouse as NYC area headliners Biohazard and Sworn Enemy lead the night along with other hardcore and metal acts from the 845 and 518 area.  About 170 people packed the place to unleash their aggression and have a good time.

    The doors opened at 7 and local area metal newcomers Pug Box opened the night around 7:15 with their six song set to set the tone for what was to come. Soon after, 518 hardcore outfit Life Sentence played their six song set adding a lot of attitude to the stage.  Their style and presence felt very similar to Madball.

    The Standard Assault (better known as TSA) then graced their stage with their unique set.  They really stood out due to their metalcore and groove metal style.  Along with that, their songs were far more lengthy than the other bands on the bill.  They were aggressive and thrashy. Guitarist  John Reilly played blazing solo’s that were clearly influenced by Slayer and frontman Pete Stott’s vocals were unique with a Randy Blythe-like flair to it.  Their songs were clearly about past girl friends and betrayal.  It was a nice change of pace for the night.

    Albany’s Brick By Brick then took The Loft into hostile territory as they brought a bloody knuckle atmosphere with their eight song set that caused the floor to erupt with slam dancers and borderline dangerous moshing.  Despite some sound trouble, they never missed a beat and kept the energy high.  Frontman Mike Valente even called out the crowd hanging at the bar to get themselves closer to the stage.  They ended their set with “Bro Hymn” with lots of crowd participation that just made everyone on the floor go crazy.

    Sworn Enemy stormed the stage around 10PM.  They’re out promoting their upcoming album Living On Borrowed Time.  Their set consisted of their classics as well as two new songs fused into their set.  Opening with “One Way Trip,” the already established pit grew even bigger and caused the floor to go completely chaotic.  Luckily, no one was hurt.  There was one person in the crowd that stood much bigger and taller than anyone that was dancing in the pit.  About mid-way through Sworn Enemy’s set, this guy in the crowd just walked over to frontman Sal LoCoco and picked him up off the stage and swung him around.  Luckily the show was not stopped or interrupted and there was no ill-intent.  Sworn Enemy ended their set on a high note with “We Hate” and let everyone in their crowd release their aggression.

    Biohazard finally took the stage at 11:30 with a setlist that contained hits and album cuts from their first three records.  Opening the set with fan favorites “Chamber Spins Three” and “What Makes Us Tick,” Biohazard proved at even their veteran status, they still bring lots of energy on stage and show absolutely no sign of slowing down.  From that moment on, it almost seemed that everyone in the crowd was from Brooklyn. Midway through their set, Biohazard unleashed the iconic “Tales From The Hardside.”  Things in the pit became hostile, and a huge scuffle broke out in the crowd causing the entire security team to stop it, which ultimately caused the band to stop what they were doing.  Even I ran to the corner and hid when this all went down. After a few minutes Biohazard resumed and played a few tracks off their first record.  Then lead guitarist Bobby Hambel addressed the crowd on the corruption of news and politics which lead to “Black And White And Red All Over.”  Finally, Biohazard wrapped their eighteen song set with their breakout hit “Punishment” and their creed motto “Hold My Own.”

    Everyone at The Loft had a blast, and it’s obvious Biohazard still enjoys what they do. I was lucky enough to chat with the band after the show.  They all confirmed they are hard at work on a new album and will be touring through Upstate New York again.  Biohazard currently finished a brief East coast run and is now doing a month-long European tour but come back to the U.S. in May for the annual “Black N Blue Bowl” at The Well in Brooklyn on May 17th and 18th along with Hatebreed, Agnostic Front, Sworn Enemy, Brick By Brick, and many more.

  • Listen Up Punk: Gogol Bordello Tour Across NY

    NYC-based gypsy punk rockers Gogol Bordello bring their eclectic sounds to several Upstate favorite spots this summer. Bordello has built a devout following over the past 15 years and these are sure to be hot tickets.

    7/11-7-12 Higher Ground, Burlington VT

    7/19 The Capitol Theatre, Portchester, NY

    7/22 Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, NY

    7/26 Main Street Armory, Rochester, NY

  • Metal Night declared on Saratoga Springs

    Metal Heads in Saratoga Springs will be delighted to hear about METAL NIGHT, Wednesday, March 19th at Putnam Den.

    Mobile Deathcamp, and their vicious guitars, will be headlining the show with local bands Satan Place, Dark Matter, and Jesus Christ and the Hallucinogenic All Stars.

    Ohio’s own Mobile Deathcamp has been blowing audiences away since 2008. Todd Evans, known as “Beefcake The Mighty “, formed the band after a six-year stint with metal’s biggest shock bands,  GWAR.  Bassist Boe Skadeland and drummer Chad Smith teamed up with Evans to form this musical terror packet.

    Deathcamp’s music has been described by critics as “not overly flashy” and devoid of “self-indulgent, ego-stroking pretense” and a sound that will “blow your mind” with aggressive growls and a rhythm section that induces action from the crowd.

    Satan Place describes their own music as heavy ‘groove’ metal. They have an even measurement of old school metal combined with newer elements currently arising in the metal genre.  As for their inspiration to play, Satan Place took to their Facebook to say,  “We play because we all enjoy creating music and just simply melting faces.”

    Jesus Christ and the Hallucinogenic All Stars are directly from Saratoga Springs.  The band, described as heavy and psychedelic, gained local notoriety in 2011 when they organized a flash mob on Caroline Street as they performed from the back of a truck.

    Doors open at 8 pm with performers starting at 9 pm. Tickets at the door for attendees 18 and older. Prices start at $7 for 21 and over and $12 for underage. Putnam Den is located at 63A Putnam Street.